The present invention relates generally to latching apparatus, and, more particularly, to a latch assembly for maintaining a battery in position upon a housing of a portable telephone.
Portable, cellular phones are increasingly utilized to permit a user to communicate telephonically at virtually any location. For instance, portable telephones are frequently positioned in automobiles to permit telephone communication by a user travelling in an automobile. The portable telephone transmits a low wattage, radio frequency signal to a receiving station whereat connections are provided with conventional telephone systems. Numerous receiving stations are spaced apart at fixed locations in an area to receive the signals transmitted by the portable telephone as the portable telephone is transported in the automobile, or otherwise, throughout the area.
The portable telephone must be coupled to a power supply in order to generate and transmit the radio frequency signal. In order to increase the portability of the portable telephone, the power supply is comprised of a battery power source which is electrically coupled to the portable telephone. In fact, in some designs, the housing assembly of the portable telephone includes appropriate support structure to support the battery thereupon, thereby permitting the battery to be carried with the portable telephone.
However, the battery can store only a finite amount of energy which may be converted into electrical power to power the portable telephone. Therefore, after a certain period of use of the telephone, the battery must be removed from the portable telephone, and replaced with a fresh battery to permit continued operation of the portable telephone. The frequency with which the battery must be replaced is, of course, dependent upon the actual battery capacity, and the power consumption of the telephone. Generally, because a conventional nickel-cadmium battery typically utilized to power the portable telephone becomes depleted of stored energy after as little as two, or even fewer, hours of operation of the portable telephone, the battery must be replaced at frequent intervals.
Therefore, the means by which the battery is connected to the portable telephone must permit the battery to be replaced quickly and easily. One conventional design of a portable telephone housing includes guide tracks formed above a top surface of the portable telephone housing to permit sliding engagement with corresponding rail members formed on a bottom surface of the battery. By engaging the rails formed on the bottom surface of the battery with the guide tracks formed on the telephone housing, and then sliding the battery therealong, the battery may be positioned to permit carriage thereof by the portable telephone. The housing of the portable telephone also typically includes a stop formed at an end of the top surface to support a first end of the battery in position when suitably engaged with the guide rails of the portable telephone housing. A latch assembly is mounted to the telephone at an end of the portable telephone housing opposite that of the stop. The latch assembly maintains the battery in position once the battery is suitably positioned to abut, at opposite ends, the stop and the latch assembly. The battery is thereby held in position upon the top surface of the portable telephone housing to be carried therewith. Suitable electrical connecting elements electrically connect the battery and the portable telephone theretogether when the battery is properly positioned to power the portable telephone thereby.
Existing latch assemblies for supporting the battery in position upon the portable telephone housing are typically each comprised of a four-piece assembly. A first piece, a first plate member, is fixedly attached to the housing of the portable telephone by a fastening member, such as a screw element, which comprises the second piece. A third piece, a T-shaped element, is interconnected with the plate member by way of the fastening member, with the fourth piece, a spring member, positioned therebetween to provide a spring force to position a portion of the top surface of the T-shaped element above the top surface of the plate element. This portion of the T-shaped element forms a latching surface to permit abutting engagement with the battery to maintain the battery in position upon the top surface of the housing.
Such a latch assembly, however, requires a multiple-step process in order to affix the latch assembly to the housing of the portable telephone. Such a process is time consuming, and, additionally, is susceptible to assembly error, and/or subsequent failure during use of the assembly.
Furthermore, increased miniaturization of portable telephones allow the portable telephones to be packaged in housings of ever smaller dimensions. The three-piece latch assembly described hereinabove is of dimensions which limits further decrease in housing size of the portable telephone.
Therefore, a new latching assembly design is required which is of simpler construction as well as of smaller dimensions.